Winter weather alerts were prompted in some 14 states on Monday as meteorologists warned of heavy snowfall and winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour in some areas.

The warnings, which covered a swath of the country stretching from California to Minnesota, as well as Maine, included a mixture of winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings, and winter storm watches from the National Weather Service (NWS).

Why It Matters

Travel was strongly discouraged in multiple regions because of predicted “difficult to impossible” driving conditions. Hazardous morning and evening commutes are likely in several western states.

Particularly cold weather can also pose a health risk for vulnerable groups such as infants and older adults.

What To Know

As of Monday morning, winter weather advisories were in effect in parts of Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, California, Montana, Wyoming and Maine.

More serious winter storm warnings were issued for parts of California, Montana, Oregon and Nevada.

Winter storm watches, indicating severe winter weather was possible in the coming days were also in effect in Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

The NWS in Reno, Nevada, warned that in the Greater Lake Tahoe Area, “snow accumulations between one to two feet above 6500 feet…with up to three to 3.5 feet possible at the highest elevations” were expected through Tuesday evening. Winds in the Sierra ridgelines could reach 100 mph.

The NWS office in Sacramento stated that total snow accumulations of 1 to 4 feet were possible, locally up to 5 feet over peaks for areas above 3500 feet in the Sierra Nevada and warned that “very strong winds could cause extensive tree damage.”

In Montana, snow alerts extend into midweek. The NWS in Billings issued a warning for the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, predicting total snow accumulations between 8 and 16 inches. Avalanche risk could increase, and the office advised backcountry users to inform others of their whereabouts in case of emergency.

Northern California counties, including Lassen, Plumas, and the Northern Sierra, remain under a Winter Storm Warning until Tuesday night.

The Sacramento NWS said in its latest bulletin the heaviest snowfall is expected today, with snowfall rates up to 2 inches an hour.

Power Outages

At the time of writing, significant power outages were noted in two of the states.

In Michigan, some 324,000 customers were without power, according to PowerOutage.us, a service that tracks disruptions.

In neighboring Minnesota, more than 62,000 outages were recorded.

In Indiana, some 50,000 were noted, with a further 10,000 in Kentucky.

What People Are Saying

The National Weather Service said on X: “Portions of Wisconsin and Michigan should see a period of snow turn into a generally light mix of sleet and freezing rain Tuesday night into Wednesday, which could lead to hazardous travel conditions.”

What Happens Next

Another late-season winter storm is expected to bring snow and hazardous travel conditions to parts of the country this week.